Gender differences in creative self-efficacy: Findings of mean and variability analyses

Abstract

This study investigated gender differences in creative self-efficacy among 398 (49.5% female) undergraduate students in Hong Kong by analyzing both means and variability. The Creative Self-Efficacy (CSE) subscale in the Short Scale of Creative Self (SSCS) was translated and adapted to Chinese to assess creative self-efficacy. Interesting gendered patterns were found. First, the results of mean comparisons suggest a pattern of male superiority, though the effect size was small (d = 0.24). Second, the results of variability analyses suggest a pattern of greater male variability: (1) men exhibited greater variance than women in the overall distribution of creative self-efficacy scores, with the male/female variance ratio (VR) = 1.64, and (2) men were overrepresented at both the high and low extremes of the score distribution, with the male/female ratio = 2.62 – 9.99. The important methodological implication is that both means and variability should be analyzed to gain a more thorough understanding of gender differences in creative self-efficacy. The practical implication of the findings is that gender differences should be considered in the cultivation of creative self-efficacy, which has been shown to positively influence creative outcomes and creative achievements.